As Israel gathered across the Jordan River from the Promised Land, Moses put a question to the people: “Now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you?”
In the same breath, Moses answered: “But to fear (reverence) the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all they soul. To keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good.” Deuteronomy 10:12-13
God’s covenant faithfulness toward His people came with an expectation of reverence, love, and obedience. Yet, these things God asked for were designed for the people’s own good.
The concept of fearing God is best understood as reverence and awe. In the original Hebrew, the word translated as “fear” means “to regard with feelings of respect; consider holy and exalted, be in awe of.” Fearing the Lord involves a keen awareness of what God hates, namely, sin and wickedness. It includes understanding God’s holiness; His judgment on sin and His discipline of believers who sin.
The apostle Paul described fearing the Lord as hating what is evil and clinging to what is good in Romans 12:9. God wants us to avoid His discipline and live our lives in a way that is pleasing to Him.
To walk in the Word relates to how we live and behave. Go wants us to follow His example in every way – in holiness, in love, and in service. Christ explained in John 13:14-15 and Matthew 10:38 that when he washed the feet of the disciples it was in servitude, an example for them to follow.
We are told in Matthew 22:37-38 that the greatest commandment is that we must love God with all our heart, soul and mind. All other requirements and commands flow out of our love for God. Our love for God is not half-hearted; rather, we yearn for Him “as the hart panteth after the water brooks…” Psalm 42:1
Serving God is not a forced obligation but a free, natural, and joy-filled response to the love God has lavished on us. Love serves, not as a servant, but as someone who is in love.
Observing God’s commands proves our love for Him and shows our faithfulness. Moreover, the Lord asks us to obey His commands for our benefit according to Psalm 19:8 “the statute of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.”
What does God expect of us? He expects us to live for Him just as He lived for us.
“There is a big difference between somebody who knows the Bible and somebody who knows the Author of the Bible. There is a big difference between somebody who studies the Bible for theological purposes and somebody who studies the Bible because he loves God.”
